Mechanics and other craftsmen have traditionally stored their tools and equipment in tool boxes, chests, or the like for safekeeping and to protect such tools from damage or from the elements. The typical specially designed tool box or tool chest is a relatively heavy, sturdy structure, generally formed of sheet steel and painted in order to provide for rust protection. As such, heavier tools (e. g., hammers, prybars, large combination wrenches, etc.) can easily chip or scratch the painted surface of the tool box or drawer, and expose the underlying sheet metal structure of the box to rust. Moreover, the direct contact with the relatively hard surfaces of the tool box can damage any plating or finish on many tools which may be stored therein, and more delicate tools (e. g., micrometers, verniers, gauges, etc.) may be damaged by inadvertent hard contact with the surfaces of the tool box and/or other tools therein.
Accordingly, many mechanics and craftsmen line the interior bottom surfaces of the various drawers and compartments of their tool boxes or chests with a relatively soft, resilient material (carpet material, closed cell foam sheet, etc.) in order to eliminate direct contact between tools and the underlying drawer or box bottom surface. However, such a simple sheet of material does nothing to prevent contact between different tools, which may also lead to damage to the tools. Moreover, the tools may still be placed at random in any drawer or compartment of the chest or box, making it difficult for a person having a relatively large collection of tools and the like to readily determine if any are missing or have been misplaced.
No satisfactory solution to the above problem has been developed heretofore, although specialized tool cases having specially shaped insets for specific tools and gauges are well known. The problem with such cases is that the tools contained therein and the cases are generally supplied as a unit, and the specially formed case interiors are not adaptable to other tools; it is not possible to store such articles as hammers and files in a case specifically formed to store and protect other instruments, such as measuring devices. As the interiors of such cases are each specifically formed for certain specific tools, the cost of producing the special molds required for use with other tool storage is prohibitive.
The need arises for a method of making or manufacturing custom fit tool box liners which may be easily formed to provide a precise fit for specific tools. The method preferably may be accomplished using relatively simple hand tools and equipment, or alternatively may lend itself to volume production by means of automated equipment such as cutting dies. The resulting tool box liners must provide protection and storage for tools contained therein which is equivalent to that provided by specially molded cases.